The Assyrians Threaten Jerusalem
(2 Kings 18.13-372 19.14-192 35-37Isaiah 36.1-22Isaiah 37.8-38)1 After these events, in which King Hezekiah served the Lord faithfully, Sennacherib, the emperor of Assyria, invaded Judah. He besieged the fortified cities and gave orders for his army to break their way through the walls. 2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib intended to attack Jerusalem also, 3-4 he and his officials decided to cut off the supply of water outside the city in order to keep the Assyrians from having any water when they got near Jerusalem. The officials led a large number of people out and stopped up all the springs, so that no more water flowed out of them. 5 The king strengthened the city's defenses by repairing the wall, building towers on it, and building an outer wall. In addition, he repaired the defenses built on the land that was filled in on the east side of the old part of Jerusalem. He also had a large number of spears and shields made. 6 He placed all the men in the city under the command of army officers and had them assemble in the open square at the city gate. He said to them, 7 “Be determined and confident, and don't be afraid of the Assyrian emperor or of the army he is leading. We have more power on our side than he has on his. 8 He has human power, but we have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” The people were encouraged by these words of their king.
9 Some time later, while Sennacherib and his army were still at Lachish, he sent the following message to Hezekiah and the people of Judah who were with him in Jerusalem: 10 “I, Sennacherib, Emperor of Assyria, ask what gives you people the confidence to remain in Jerusalem under siege. 11 Hezekiah tells you that the Lord your God will save you from our power, but Hezekiah is deceiving you and will let you die of hunger and thirst. 12 He is the one who destroyed the Lord's shrines and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem to worship and burn incense at one altar only. 13 Don't you know what my ancestors and I have done to the people of other nations? Did the gods of any other nation save their people from the emperor of Assyria? 14 When did any of the gods of all those countries ever save their country from us? Then what makes you think that your god can save you? 15 Now don't let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like that. Don't believe him! No god of any nation has ever been able to save his people from any Assyrian emperor. So certainly this god of yours can't save you!”
16 The Assyrian officials said even worse things about the Lord God and Hezekiah, the Lord's servant. 17 The letter that the emperor wrote defied the Lord, the God of Israel. It said, “The gods of the nations have not saved their people from my power, and neither will Hezekiah's god save his people from me.” 18 The officials shouted this in Hebrew in order to frighten and discourage the people of Jerusalem who were on the city wall, so that it would be easier to capture the city. 19 They talked about the God of Jerusalem in the same way that they talked about the gods of the other peoples, idols made by human hands.
20 Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed to God and cried out to him for help. 21 The Lord sent an angel that killed the soldiers and officers of the Assyrian army. So the emperor went back to Assyria disgraced. One day when he was in the temple of his god, some of his sons killed him with their swords.
22 In this way the Lord rescued King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the power of Sennacherib, the emperor of Assyria, and also from their other enemies. He let the people live in peace with all the neighboring countries. 23 Many people came to Jerusalem, bringing offerings to the Lord and gifts to Hezekiah, so that from then on all the nations held Hezekiah in honor.
Hezekiah's Illness and Pride
(2 Kings 20.1-32 12-19Isaiah 38.1-3Isaiah 39.1-8)24 About this time King Hezekiah became sick and almost died. He prayed, and the Lord gave him a sign that he would recover. 25 But Hezekiah was too proud to show gratitude for what the Lord had done for him, and Judah and Jerusalem suffered for it. 26 Finally, however, Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem humbled themselves, and so the Lord did not punish the people until after Hezekiah's death.
Hezekiah's Wealth and Splendor
27 King Hezekiah became very wealthy, and everyone held him in honor. He had storerooms built for his gold, silver, precious stones, spices, shields, and other valuable objects. 28 In addition, he had storehouses built for his grain, wine, and olive oil; barns for his cattle; and pens for his sheep. 29 Besides all this, God gave him sheep and cattle and so much other wealth that he built many cities. 30 It was King Hezekiah who blocked the outlet for Gihon Spring and channeled the water to flow through a tunnel to a point inside the walls of Jerusalem. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did, 31 and even when the Babylonian ambassadors came to inquire about the unusual event that had happened in the land, God let Hezekiah go his own way only in order to test his character.
The End of Hezekiah's Reign
(2 Kings 20.202 21)32 Everything else that King Hezekiah did and his devotion to the Lord are recorded in The Vision of the Prophet Isaiah Son of Amoz and in The History of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33 Hezekiah died and was buried in the upper section of the royal tombs. All the people of Judah and Jerusalem paid him great honor at his death. His son Manasseh succeeded him as king.
Sanherib ge Jerusalemsa ra ǁnāǂam
(2 Gao-aogu 18:13-372 19:14-19, 2 35-37Jesaja 36:1-22Jesaja 37:8-38)1 Nē ǃnaeǃkhaidi, ǁîdi ǃnâb ge gao-aob Hiskiaba ǂgomǂgomsase ǃKhūba gere ǃoabadi, khaoǃgâb ge Asiriab gao-aob Sanheriba Judaba ge ǁnāǂam. ǁÎb ge omǂnamisa ǃādi Judab dide dan tsî ǁîb di toroǃkhamaoga ge mîmā, î gu ǁîdi ǂnubiǂgoaga-u khôaǃganu. 2 Hiskiab ge Sanherib, Jerusalems tsîna hā ra ǁnāǂam ǂgao ǃkhaisa ge mûo, 3-4 ǁîb di ǂamkhoegu ǀkha ge mîǀgui, ǃās ǃauga hâ ǀaude xu ra ǀkhī ǁgam-e gu nî ǁkhaesa, î gu Asiriaǁîga Jerusalems ǀgūse gu ga ǀkhīo, tā ǁgam-e hō. O gu ge ǂamkhoega ǂgui khoen ǀkha ǃgûǂoa tsî ǀaudi hoade ge ǂganam, î-i tā ǁgam-i xare-e ǁîde xu dâuǂoa. 5 Gao-aob ge Davidi ǃĀs di ǂnubiǂgoab hîa ge khôa hâ iba ǁkhawa omkhâi, ǂgō-omga ǁîgu ai ǂnubi, ǃaugabǀkhāb ai noxopa ǀnî ǂnubiǂgoaba ǃās ǂnamipe ǂnubi tsî ǁhankhâisa ǃkhaib, ǀoro Jerusalems dib, aiǂoasǀkhāb diba ge ǀgaiǀgai. ǁÎb ge ǁkhāti ǂgui ǃgôab di ǁhâigôagu tsî ǁkhaukhōdi tsîna ge kuru kai. 6 ǁÎb ge ǃās di aogu hoaga ǂamkhoegu mûǂams ǃnaka mâi tsî ǁîga ge mîmā, î gu ǃās di dao-ams tawa hâ ǂgās ai ǀhao. Tsîb ge ǁîga ǃoa ge mî: 7 “ǀGai, î go ǁkhoaǂgaoxa. Tā Asiriaǁîn di gao-aob kas, ǁîb di kai toroǂnubis kas hoasa ǃao. Sage ge ǁîb ūhâs xa ǃnāsa ǀgaiba ūhâ. 8 ǁÎb ge khoesi ǀgaiba ūhâ, xawe sage ge ǃKhūb sada Eloba ūhâ, huida tsîb nî ǃkhambadase.” O gu ge aoga nē mîdi gao-aob Hiskiab didi xa ge ǁkhoa khaihe.
9 ǁAe-i ǃkharu hâseb ge Sanheriba, ǁîb di toroǂnubis ǀkhab noxopa Lakis ǃnâ hâ hîa, Hiskiab tsî Judab di khoen Jerusalems ǃnâ hân tsîna nēti ge haisiba: 10 “Tita, Asiriab gao-aota Sanherita ge ra dî, tare-i ai du ra mûmâinǃgâ, o du ǁnāǂamhes ra hîa noxopa Jerusalems ǃnâ hâ? 11 Hiskiab ge ǃKhūb, sadu Elob sida ǀgaiba xu nî huiǂui du ti ra mîba du, xaweb ge ǁîba sado ra ǂgaeǂhapu, î du ǃâs tsî ǁgâs xa ǁō. 12 ǁÎb ge ǃKhūb di ǀgoreǀîǃkhaidi tsî altardi tsîna hîkākā tsî ge Judab tsî Jerusalems tsîra khoen ǃoa mîba, ǀgui altars tawa ǀguin nî ǀgoreǀî tsî ǀanǀanǁguibade ǁguibasa. 13 ǂAn tama du hâ, tare-e da ge tita tsî ti aboxan tsîda, nau ǃhūgu di ǁaedi ǀkha dīsa? ǀGuib nē ǁaedi elogu diba ǁîb khoena Asiriab gao-aoba xu huiǂuib ge? 14 ǀGuib nē ǁaedi elogu diba, ǁîb khoena Asiriab gao-aoba xu huiǂui ǁkhāb ge i? Tsî du kha sado, sadu Elob a huiǂui ǁkhā ti ra ǂâi? 15 Tāb Hiskiaba sado nēti gā tsî ǂgaeǂhapu. Tā ǁîba ǂgom. ǀGui ǁae-i tamas ka io gaosi-i di elob tsîn ge ǁîb ǁaesa, ti ǀgaib tamas ka io ti aboxagu di ǀgaiba xu ge huiǂui ǁoa i. Sadu Elob tsîn ge sado huiǂui ǁkhā tide.”
16 Asiriab ǂamkhoegu ge noxopa ǃnāsa xūna ǃKhūb Elob tsî ǁîb ǃgāb Hiskiab tsîkha ǃoagu ge mî. 17 ǁÎb ge ǁkhāti sîǂkhanis hîab ge xoas ǃnâ ǃKhūb, Israeli di Eloba ge ǃkhāǃkhā. ǁÎb ge ge xoa: “Nau ǃhūgu ǁaedi di elogu ge ǁîgu khoena, ti ǀgaiba xu huiǂui ǁoa is ǁkhās khamib ge Hiskiab di Elob tsîna, ǁîb ǁaesa ti ǀgaiba xu huiǂui tide.” 18 ǁÎgu ge nē xūna Hebregowab ǃnâ ge ǃhao, Jerusalems ǂnubiǂgoab ai hâ khoena gu ǃaoǃao tsî nî ǂkhabuǂâi kaise, î gu ǃāsa supuse ū ǁkhā. 19 ǁÎgu ge Jerusalems di Elob xa nau ǁaedi elogu, khoen ǃomgu ǀkha kuruhe hâgu xa gu gere ǃhoa, khami gere ǃhoa.
20 O kha ge gao-aob Hiskiab tsî Amosi ôab kēbo-aob Jesajab tsîkha ǁnās ǂama Elob ǃoa ǀgore tsî ǁîba huib ǃaroma ge ǂgaiǀî. 21 Ob ge ǃKhūba, Asiriab toroǃkhamaogu tsî ǂamkhoegu tsîga ge ǃgam ǀhomǃgāba ge sî. ǁNātib ge gao-aoba tao hâse Asiriab ǁga ge oa. ǀGuitsē gu ge ǁîb ôaga, ǁîb elob di tempeli ǃnâb hâ hîa, gôagu ǀkha ge ǃkhāǃan bi.
22 ǁNātib ge ǃKhūba gao-aob Hiskiab tsî Jerusalems di ǁanǂgāsaben tsîna, Asiriab gao-aob Sanherib tsî nau khākhoen tsîn di ǃomǁaeba xu ge huiǂui. Tsîb ge ǁîn ǃhūb xōǀkhā ǁgoe ǃhūgu hoagu di ǁaedi, ǁîn ǀkha ǂkhîb ǃnâ nî ûisa ge dī. 23 ǂGui khoen ge Jerusalems tawa ǃKhūba ǁguibade gere hā-ūba tsî gao-aob Hiskiaba ǀkhaexūna, tsîdi ge hoa ǁaede ǁnā ǁaeba xu Hiskiaba kai ǃgôasiba ge mā.
Hiskiab ǀaesenni tsî ǀgapiǂâixasib
(2 Gao-aogu 20:1-3, 2 12-19Jesaja 38:1-3Jesaja 39:1-8)24 ǁNā ǁaeb ǃnâb ge gao-aob Hiskiaba ǁō ǁgab ges kōse ge ǀaesen. Ob ge ge ǀgore tsîb ge ǃKhūba buruxa sao-e ge mā bi. 25 Xaweb ge Hiskiaba kaise ǀgapiǂâixa tsî ǃKhūb ge dība bi ǃgâidīb ǂama gangan tama ge i, ob ge ǃKhūba Judab tsî Jerusalems tsîra ǂama kaise ge ǁaixa. 26 Egan ge Hiskiab tsî Jerusalems di khoen tsîna sī ge ǃgamǃgamsen, ǁnā-amagab ge ǃKhūba Hiskiab ûiǁaeb ǃnâ ǁîna ǁkhara tama ge i.
Hiskiab di ǃkhūsib tsî ǃgôasib
27 Hiskiab ge kaise ge ǃkhū tsî khoen xa kai ǃgôasiba ge ūbahe hâ i. ǁÎb ge ǁîb di ǃhuniǀurib, ǀhaiǀurib, ǃgomǀgausa ǀuidi, ǂûǁkhoaǁkhoa-ūxūn, ǁkhaukhōdi tsî nau ama-ai xūn tsîn ǃaroma, sâuǃnâ-omde ge om kai. 28 ǁKhātib ge ǃhoro-i, ǂauxûi-i tsî ǀkhera-oli-i ǃaromas tsîna sâuǃnâ-omga ge om kai tsî ǃharade goman tsî gūn tsîn ǃaroma. 29 Nēn xōǀkhāb ge Eloba, ǂgui goman tsî gūn tsî kai ǃkhūsib tsîna ge mā bi tsîb ge ǂgui ǃāde ge ǂnubi. 30 Hiskiab ǁkhāb ge Gihonǀausa xu ra dâuǂoa ǁgamma ge ǁkhae tsî huriǂoasǀkhāb Jerusalems dib ǁgab nî dâuse unuba. Hiskiab ge dīb gere xū-i hoa-i ǃnâ gere ǃgâiǃgâ. 31 Babiloniab ǂgaeǂgui-aogu ge ǁîb di ǃhūb ǃnâ ge ī buruxa ǃkhais xa gu nî dî bise ǀkhī, ob ge Eloba ge ǁnāxū bi, ǁîb di ǁkhāsibab nî ǃâitsâse.
Hiskiab ǂgaeǂguis di ǀams
(2 Gao-aogu 20:20-21)32 Gao-aob Hiskiab ge dī xūn hoan tsî mâtib ge ǃKhūb ǃoa ǂgomǂgomsa is tsîn ge Amosi ôab, kēbo-aob Jesajab di Ai-i tsî ǃNaeǃkhaidi ǂKhanis Judab tsî Israeli tsîkha Gao-aogu dis tsîra ǃnâ a xoamâisa. 33 Hiskiab ge ǁō tsî ǀgapikabǀkhāb di ǃâb, gao-aogu ǀhobadi dib ǃnâ ge ǁkhōhe. Hoaraga khoen Judab tsî Jerusalems tsîra din ge ǁōb âb ǃnâ ǃgôasiba ge mā bi. ǁÎb ôab Manaseb ge ǁîb khaoǃgâ ge gao-ao kai.
